His Hot Tamale Read online

  “Just curious.” I shrugged and slipped on some socks and shoes to go downstairs.

  “Cat?” I met Allie’s worried gaze. “Is there something I don’t know?” I shook my head.

  “There is something about him I don’t trust,” I mumbled, and she looked at me for a long moment then swallowed hard.

  “Ditto.” She sat up and winced. “Holy crap! Never ever again. One drink max.”

  “I’m gonna get you some water, toast, and Tylenol.”

  “Thank you,” she called. “You’re the best!” she huffed, lying back in my bed, and I rolled my eyes. I opened my door to Willow standing there, her arm raised, about to knock.

  “Hi.” I laughed wondering what the hell she was up to. Willow was great, but she was far from a morning person.

  “Hey!” she beamed and pressed her lips together. “You have a delivery!” she squealed, and my eyes went wide.

  “A delivery?” I thought about any Amazon orders I might have done. Had I one-clicked a sweater I had been looking at by accident?

  “Yep! Hurry downstairs!”

  “I’ll get it in a sec. I need to get Allie something for her hangover.”

  “You have to sign for it.” She laughed, and I swear she was way too peppy. “I’ll get Allie’s stuff. Trust me on this. You wanna go to the door.”

  “Okay,” I sounded out slowly as I headed down the stairs to the front door, then stopped when I caught a glance of it. A huge floral arrangement. Dusty pink camellias, peach chrysanthemums, and Calla Lilies in a faded orange. The arrangement was gorgeous.

  “What?”

  “You have to sign,” I heard Willow say, but I was too distracted by the man holding the flowers. Everything around us faded away.

  Mornings suited Jonah.

  As he stood there in a plain white tee and jeans, beautiful flowers in one hand and a clip board in the other, my body instantly warmed up. He was too good looking for his own good, and mine.

  “Catalina Navarro?” he said, his eyes meeting mine, amusement and mischief glittering through.

  “What are you doing?” I laughed, giddiness bubbling up and through me as I hurried to close the last couple of feet between us. “I need you to sign here.”

  “Jonah, what are you doing?” But he didn’t tell me. His soulful eyes studied my face, and I wanted to swoon. I’d never swooned for a guy, ever in my life. But Jonah Scott was a game changer. It might have started out bumpy, but last night had changed it all. Not only the way he was

  “Sign here,” he repeated, but this time in a whisper that made me shiver. Our eyes met, and I knew he knew the effect he had on me.

  A sinfully handsome smile covered his face, a naughty gleam in his eye, and I couldn’t stop my reaction to him. I leaned in, taking the pen from his hand and him by surprise. A rush of sexual desire rushed though me, and without thinking, basic instinct took over. I placed my hand on his chest, the heat of his body comforting and enticing. I looked up, and his eyes were searching mine, looking to see what the hell I was up to. Without giving either of us a chance to think, I went on the tips of my toes, raising my body flush up against his. Making the first move, in front of all the sisters in the house who were miraculously awake, and not giving a shit. Jonah’s surprise was evident for a split second, but then it was like I’d opened the flood gates of public displays of affection. He leaned in just enough for my lips to meet his.

  The clipboard that had been in his hand dug into my back as his hard chest pressed up against mine, sending delicious zips of pleasure through my extremely sensitive nipples.

  I might have been the one to initiate the kiss, but he was in complete control. His kiss made my entire body come alive. Nerves I didn’t know I had were now fully awake and buzzing.

  “Fuck,” he cursed breathlessly, and a soft whimpered cry slipped past my lips. I opened my eyes, drowning in the dark depths of his. “You’re trouble,” he rasped, stealing another small kiss, the sexual tension thick between us.

  “Where can I order one of those?” I faintly heard one of the girls ask behind me, and I was quickly reminded we had a huge audience.

  “From Amazon,” I heard Willow reply. “But only if you have Prime.”

  “Damn,” someone sighed, and I my lips twitched.

  “Okay, ladies, show’s over!” Willow called out, and I heard a scurry of movement around us, but Jonah didn’t let me go from his embrace.

  “Hi,” he whispered, even though it was only the two of us now at the front door.

  “Hey.” I smiled, melting deeper into him, my eyes widening and my body warming up at the very hard bulge between us. With any other guy, it would have freaked me out.

  “You have cute PJs.”

  “Oh my god!” I whispered, closing my eyes, slightly mortified as I realized that was exactly how I had come down the stairs. Braless and in an old black tank top with orange sleep shorts that had seen better days. Thankfully, my legs were shaved because of the dress the night before. “What is this?” I asked, and he grinned, his hand with the flowers coming up to hand me the beautiful arrangement.

  “For you.”

  “Why did I have to sign?” I raised a brow, and he playfully rolled his eyes.

  “Because any good delivery guy would make sure he delivered them to the right person.”

  “Hmm.”

  “And because I wanted to see you.”

  “I like that,” I softly said, letting my fingers lightly stroke his chest. I’d never been touchy feely with a guy before, but there was something weirdly familiar with Jonah. Like I had done it a million times with the excitement of the first. His eyes flickered with heat, and I could feel exactly how much he enjoyed my touch. “It’s like Fort Knox here.” He cleared his voice, and I smiled. “Do you have any idea how charming I had to be to just get you to the door?”

  “Really?” I giggled but wasn’t really surprised. How many guys had I given a tough time when they’d picked up my sisters in the past?

  “Get dressed and come out with me today.”

  “Today?” I chewed on my lip trying to remember what I had planned. Not much. Laundry and some reading for a couple of classes.

  “Please?” There was that sweet irresistible ‘please’ of his.

  “You know, it’s pretty presumptuous of you to think I would drop whatever I had planned to hang out with you,” I teased, and he smiled.

  “Ah, but that’s because you don’t know where I’m taking you. “

  “Where are we going?”

  “How about I surprise you?” he offered, touching the ends of my crazy hair, and I giggled.

  “Okay. Surprise me,” I said, smiling and completely at ease with my decision.

  Jonah Scott was a hell of a lot more than met the eye. More than just a jock or popular frat guy. He made me feel safe and protected. I was going to trust my gut when it came to him and just let the chips fall where they would.

  For the first time ever, I wasn’t afraid of what could be.

  I was excited.

  Jonah

  She was fucking beautiful.

  The entire goddamn package.

  Inside and out, the girl was worth whatever was worth more than freaking gold, and I was the lucky son of a bitch who had somehow convinced her to take a chance on.

  I took her to Sandy Patch Farms with the tickets we’d just won the night before, thanks to the costume contest. It was crazy that neither of us had been there before, and I liked us experiencing something new together. We walked the grounds together, taking the tour. Learned about the different types of apples they grew there and ended up picking two pails of Royal Galas and Gravensteins. We took a bunch of pictures together and of the farm. I loved how easygoing she was. She didn’t mind getting dirty, and she made the best of every situation. Then there was her smile. Damn, she had about a hundred different ones, each one better than the last. I honestly didn’t know which was my favorite. There was something about her sneaky one that made
my blood warm up, but the shy one made me want to puff out my chest and show her I could take care of her. We held hands as we walked around. Something about that innocent gesture made me harder than fucking quartz.

  She looked cute in her flannel green plaid shirt with a fitted black tee under it that read leggings, leaves, and lattes, please, and skinny faded jeans paired with orange chucks.

  “This was a great idea, Jonah. Thank you.” She beamed up at me, her face not caked on with makeup and hair in a messy high ponytail as we approached the car to drop off the apples.

  “Anytime spent with you is a good idea,” I said, giving her my signature charming smile as I closed the trunk of my car. She blushed, shaking her head.

  “Laying it on kinda thick, Romeo.” She hip-checked me, and I pulled her in, opening my legs to have her slip between.

  “I’ll show you thick,” I joked, and she laughed so hard she snorted.

  “Oh my god, no you didn’t.” She covered her nose, the giggles still sounding like music to my ears. “You’re terrible.”

  “You like me terrible,” I said, kissing her cheek before pulling away. The blush and shy smile popped out, and I cupped her face. “Hungry?” I asked, and she licked her lips. God, Catalina had no fucking clue how crazy she was driving me and how seductive she was. I wanted to taste that wet lip, pull it into my mouth hard and let it out with a pop.

  “Very.” Her voice sounded slightly hoarse, and I ran my nose along hers. Her soft skin, her sweet scent, the cool breeze around us made me lose my mind. I wanted to take things slow with her.

  “You make me want to eat you up.” Damn, I sounded like a horn dog, and I was about to explain when she blurted out, “Wow…” She swallowed her breath against my mouth. “I’ve never—”

  “Ever?” I stilled, wondering if we were talking about the same thing, and she shook her head.

  “No. I mean yes, just not that. I mean—”

  “Breathe, baby.”

  “I’ve had sex. I’m not a virgin,” she shared. “But, umm, downtown stuff.” She winced and looked away. Fuck, she was cute. Downtown stuff. I pulled away and brought her face up so our eyes would meet.

  “I’ll be the first and only to taste.”

  “You’re being kind of intense,” she said honestly, and I smiled, dropping my hand, letting it meet hers.

  “I sometimes am,” I confessed. “Though it’s usually only out on the field. But…”

  “But?”

  “I don’t know how to explain it.”

  “Can you try?” she asked softly.

  “You bring something out in me. This need. And before you think I’m some kind of perv,” I explained, “it’s more than sexual. I like you, Catalina. I liked you before we went out last night. Every night talking to you after texting throughout the day, then falling asleep on the phone, baby, I swear it’s like you infected me.”

  “Infected?” She muffled a chuckle, her pretty lips pressed together, and I nodded. It wasn’t the most romantic metaphor, but it got the point across.

  “I like you, Catalina Navarro. A lot. I’m not a player. The only game I play is out on the field, so I gotta be one hundred percent honest with you. The more time we spend together, the harder I’m getting tangled up with you.”

  “You’re sweet,” she whispered then kissed me softly before pulling just a breath away. “Odd but sweet.”

  “You think you could give odd and sweet a chance?”

  “I already am,” she answered, making me feel like I won the fucking lottery.

  _______________

  After lunch, we went back to my place. I hadn’t planned on it, so my room was a mess. Thankfully, Milo and my buddy Max kept her company while I rushed around and cleaned up.

  “This is what a frat room looks like, huh?” she asked with a devious smile as she looked around.

  It wasn’t much. Small with a full-size bed, TV mounted on the wall, a dark dresser below it, a couple of posters up on the wall, and a desk and chair in the corner.

  “Am I your first?” I joked, and she looked at me. I could tell she was trying not to roll her eyes at me.

  “Why does everything you say now sound dirty?” She laughed, taking a seat at the edge of my bed.

  “It’s a gift.” I shrugged, grabbing the chair at my desk and rolling it over to her. “Wanna watch a movie?”

  “Are you going to sit on that chair if we do?”

  “You have a better spot for me?”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged and then looked away, and I got the feeling she was suddenly nervous.

  “Cat?”

  “Yeah?” Her eyes moved to mine, and I grabbed her hand, letting myself roll closer to her without hurting her knees.

  “This isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon,” I said. She blinked once and then twice, her face expressionless. “I just mean—” But I couldn’t get another word out because her fingers covered my mouth.

  “I know what you meant,” she softly said and then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “In an attempt to be as open and honest as you were at the farm, umm, I’m super tangled up with you too,” she rambled. “You have me in knots, and I worry.”

  “About?”

  “That I will wake up and this won’t be real.” God, she wasn’t the only one. “Or the shoe will drop and this is some kind of, like, weird joke, or you’ll find out you need glasses, and when you get them—“

  “Baby, I would only see you’re even more extraordinarily beautiful than you already are.”

  “You say things like that, and it doesn’t help get me untangled.”

  “What if I don’t want you to?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, and I stood to sit next to her on the bed. Before I could say a word, she leaned her head on my shoulder and my world shifted again. Like I had found the missing piece. It felt perfect. Like my shoulder was made to help her head to find comfort.

  “What if I want you tangled up with me?” We’d been on two dates. One of which I had pretty much ambushed her for, but there I was, pushing for more.

  “Tangled together?”

  “Mmm… tangled up with my hot tamale isn’t a bad idea,” I said, watching her reflection on my TV.

  “Hot tamale?” Her head popped up, and I turned to look at her and smiled, my hand on her cheek.

  “You’re sexy. And fiery. And sassy.”

  “I am?” The surprise in her voice killed. I never wanted her to question her worth or beauty.

  “You have no idea.”

  “I was thinking we could cuddle.”

  “Cuddle and a movie. I dig it, babe. Here.” I handed her the remote as we got settled in my bed, her body fitting perfectly against mine. “Pick what you want. I have a bunch on VuDu, or we can rent something if you don’t like any of the ones I have.”

  “Wow, and you give me access to the remote? I might have to keep you, Jonah.”

  “That’s the plan, babe. That’s the plan.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Jonah

  “JONAH,” SHE HUFFED, but her breath hitched as my mouth kissed the sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder met. “Jonah, I’m going to be late.”

  “Shh… five more minutes,” I mumbled against her caramel skin before taking another taste. God, she was sweet and soft and all fucking mine.

  “You said that twenty minutes ago,” she groaned but didn’t move away. If anything, she gave me more access to her neck.

  “You taste too good.” And she did. Her skin, her lips. It’d been a week since our apple picking date, and we had been inseparable. No matter what, I made time to be with her every single day and night. We’d made out but nothing further. Not yet. But I was planning on something big after our game tomorrow.

  “You’re not playing fair. Kappa meeting.” She shivered as my teeth grazed her skin. I found a shred of control I had left and pulled away.

  “Fine,” I muttered. “Leave me,” I playfully complained. She looked at me over h
er shoulder, her hazel eyes happy and content but full of lust.

  “I’ll come back tonight.”

  “Spend the night?”

  “You’re crazy!” She shook her head, a smile on her face as she adjusted her shit and pulled on her hoodie.

  “Why?”

  “Umm, how about because you have an important game tomorrow and last night we didn’t sleep much.” We hadn’t. But like I said, we hadn’t gone there, so get your mind out of the gutter. We’d been breathlessly tangled up. All. Night. Long. The most fantastic make-out session of my life to date. Though, every make-out session felt better than the last when it was with Cat. We were horny innocent high schoolers again.

  To any other guy, it would have sounded like blue ball hell, and it sorta was. But no matter how long the wait would be, I knew it would be worth it.

  She was worth any wait.

  “I know,” I groaned. She had a point, but it didn’t mean I didn’t want her here. “I don’t want you leaving too late from here tonight. How about I see you after the game tomorrow? I should probably throw a load of laundry in.”

  “Isn’t that what your pledges do?” she joked, tying her shoes.

  “Hell no.” I laughed and jumped out of bed. I quickly tried to adjust my obvious hard-on. “I have a surprise—” I caught her staring at my dick. “Baby?”

  “Umm, what?” Her head popped up as her face turned that pretty color.

  “Busted.” I winked and laughed when the color washed out of her face and she got serious. “Cat, I’m playing.”

  “I just… I’m sorry I haven’t… I mean that we haven’t…”

  “Hey.” I closed the space between us and wrapped my arms around her waist, resting at the small of her back. “There’s no rush. Okay? I’ve told you that.”

  “I know, but—”

  “No buts. Cold showers are invigorating,” I said, trying to lighten the mood, but she wrapped her body up with mine in a close, warm hug.

  “I was hoping maybe tomorrow I could, umm, spend the night?” she whispered quickly in my ear, despite us being alone in my room.

  “If you want. Anytime, you know that.”

  “I mean, tomorrow, if you are, umm...up for it.”